Welcome to this week's episode of Social Chatter where we cover the latest social media news from this past week.
Each episode of Social Chatter is available as a blog post or video.
Let's see what's new in social media this week with your hosts, Christian Karasiewicz and Nick Rishwain!
Watch This Week's Social Media Updates
Facebook Messenger Group Video Chat and Live Masks
In Facebook news, they are adding group video chat to Messenger.
Facebook has this to say about group video chat.
"Group Video Chat in Messenger makes it simple and seamless to stay connected face-to-face."
With group video chat, you will be able to see up to six people at a time.
Up to fifty of your friends can join; however, they can join in and listen.
Another useful feature that was added is the ability to use live masks during your chat.
This can help liven up the group chat and help you tell a better story to viewers.
Here is a short video about Facebook Messenger group video chat.
Why Facebook Messenger Group Video Chat and Live Masks Matter
Group video chat in Facebook Messenger is going to be a very popular tool for Facebook users.
This will give you another medium to communicate.
For those of you using Facebook Messenger group video chat, remember, while you can only have six people on video at a time, it will be up to you to manage your group chats.
If you have a lot of people joining a chat, be sure you rotate others in so that everyone gets some screen time.
The more you give back to your audience, the better the chance you have they will participate in future group video chats.
To use Facebook group video chat, be sure you are running the latest version of Facebook Messenger (download).
Once you are running Facebook Messenger, start a group conversation.
Next, "tap on the video icon on the upper right of the screen to enter the video chat and everyone in the group will be notified. Each person can join when they are ready with just one tap. For an extra nudge, you can also directly ring just a few people or the whole group."
If you have additional questions about Facebook Messenger group video chat, please leave them in the comments below.
You can see the press release for group video chat here.
Facebook Live Audio
Adding to their growing use of Facebook Live, Facebook is launching Facebook live audio.
According to Facebook, "we know that sometimes publishers want to tell a story on Facebook with words and not video. We've even seen some Pages find creative ways to go live and reach audiences with audio only by using the Facebook Live API or by adding a still image to accompany their audio broadcast. Our new Live Audio option makes it easy to go live with audio only when that's the broadcaster's preferred format."
Why Facebook Live Audio Matters
Facebook live audio seems like it is going to be a win when it launches next year.
This is because you will be able to tap into an audience on many different fronts.
For example, if someone has a weak Internet connection, Facebook live video would be difficult, but Facebook live audio, you can bring in a new set of customers to tune in.
Another benefit to Facebook live audio is that you can also reach people who are commuting.
They will also be able to tune in to your broadcast as well if watching a video is not an option.
You can learn more about Facebook live audio from Facebook here.
Recommended Facebook Live Videos
This week, Facebook is also testing recommended Facebook live videos.
Instead of showing you a regular notification, what some users are seeing in their Facebook news feed is a small video notification.
Here is what that would look like in your Facebook news feed.
The mini live video plays automatically and can be closed.
If you don't take an action, the video will automatically disappear.
Why Recommended Facebook Live Videos Matter
This feature is particularly interesting for Facebook users.
Not only does it keep us glued to our devices, but it also keeps us on Facebook.
With Facebook pushing more and more users to create live video, there has to be a way to get people to watch the videos.
By adding a layer over notifications, this keeps us tuned in without needing to go looking for more content to view.
You can rear more about the recommended Facebook live videos here.
Edit Facebook Live Videos
Also in Facebook news this week, people who are using the Facebook Mentions app can cut the beginning and end of their Facebook live videos.
If you are a celebrity, public figure, or have a verified Facebook account, this will "create a more polished viewing experience for audiences who watch a live video after it airs."
This feature is only available for these types of Facebook accounts and at this time, they have no plans to rolls this out to Facebook profiles or pages who don't have access to the Mentions app.
Why Editing Facebook Live Videos Matters
One of the challenges with using live video in your marketing is that you need to script out a lot of your content ahead of time.
This is so that your broadcast can look very polished.
Unfortunately, a lot of times, people begin their broadcasts and then ramble.
If you are a business, you want to have your live videos as polished as possible.
This way you can begin to attract repeat viewers.
While we would love to see the ability to edit Facebook live videos available to everyone, this move makes sense.
This gives profiles and pages without access to Facebook Mentions something to strive for to get their business verified so that they can gain access to this very useful feature.
Uber Adds Snapchat Filters and Friend Locators
In Snapchat news, you can now unlock custom Snapchat filters in Uber.
What this means is when you are using Uber, you can now unlock custom filters while you ride.
You will be able to share ride filters or unlock a mystery filter.
This is what the Snapchat and Uber integration looks like.
According to Uber, "if you're an existing Snapchat user and on an Uber ride, you'll see a Snap card in the feed. Just select the type of filter you want to unlock, take your selfie, and swipe right. You can even use Uber filters with another Snap lens for double the fun."
Why Snapchat Custom Filters on Uber Matters
We love the idea of being able to use custom Snapchat filters when using Uber.
This places the importance on building relationships with people and sharing experiences with them as you are heading towards them.
Another thing about using custom filters is that they only work when you're in the vehicle en route to your destination.
This shows the power for a business to consider implementing their own geofilters.
You can read more about custom Snapchat filters with Uber here.
Instagram Enhances Stories with Stickers, Holiday Content, Hands-free mode and A Save Story Option
In Instagram news, they have rolled out a host of new features for Instagram users.
Here is a list of the new features that were added to Instagram.
- Stickers
- Holiday content
- Hands-free mode
- Save Instagram Stories
Here is a rundown on each of these new Instagram features.
Instagram stickers
The first update is the addition of stickers on Instagram.
This is what they look like.
You can now add stickers to your Instagram posts.
To add Instagram stickers, tap the smiley-face at the top right of the camera screen.
If you are using a contextual sticker, you have multiple styles to choose from to match your mood or taste.
For those of you who want different styles of Instagram stickers, simply tap the weather, time or location stickers once you have added them to your photos.
In addition to being able to add stickers, you can also add multiple text fields to any photo or video.
You can also choose left, center or right alignment next to each piece of text you add.
There is also a new slide you can use to adjust the text size. It also automatically wraps your text!
To add more text to your photos or videos, tap on the text button to add a new field.
Note: Instagram stickers can also be added to Instagram Stories.
Holiday content
Next, Instagram has added limited time holiday content.
Here are some examples of the holiday content you can choose from on Instagram.
Another neat holiday feature is a candy cane brush.
Instagram holiday content will be available for the next few weeks.
Hands-free mode
Another new feature is a hands-free mode.
Say you want to record a video. Instead of pressing and holding, you can begin recording a video with just one tap.
Save Instagram Stories
One last feature is the ability to save Instagram Stories.
Here is what it looks like when saving an Instagram Story.
You can save Instagram Stories from the last 24 hours.
Why Stickers, Hands-Free Mode and Saving Instagram Stories Matters
Instagram is making big strides to make their platform more than just sharing photos and videos.
By adding subtle features such as the ability to add stickers, more lines of text, and a new hands-free mode for recording, it will make it easier for you as a business to tell your story on Instagram.
To get all of these new Instagram features, update your Instagram app.
Instagram Post Changes for 2016
Also in Instagram news, they are making updates to the Instagram post layout.
This is what the new Instagram layout looks like.
Here is what is changing with the Instagram layout for 2016.
- All content is moving to the left side of the header
- For ads, the "sponsored" label is now under the profile name
- Also for ads, there is a new menu option that will activate hide or learn options
- Organic posts are getting a menu of sharing options
Why Instagram Post Changes Matter
With changes to the Instagram post layout, they are looking to streamline Instagram for its 600 million users.
As a business, Instagram wants to make their platform easier for users to understand.
According to Instagram, "with relevant information now appearing in the same place, more people will know what to expect in this area."
If you want to read more about the new layout changes, check out this article.
Vine Rebranded as Vine Camera
In Vine news, they are becoming a camera app.
When the service shuts down, they will become Vine Camera.
Why Vine Camera Matters
A few interesting tidbits about Vine Camera is that while you will still be able to record 6.5 second looping videos, "you will not be able to do any of the other things you can currently do with the Vine app. Once the Vine Camera is live, you will no longer be able to download your Vines from the app."
What you will need to do with the Vines that you create is either post them to Twitter or save them to your devices camera roll.
If you have any Vines that you would like to download before Vine is discontinued in January, 2017, you will have to download your Vines.
Here is how to download your Vines.
As far as a Vine camera app, Twitter could be looking to launch their own version of Snapchat Spectacles.
For now, the key takeaway is that if you have Vines you want to save, you will have to download them before Vine is rebranded to Vine camera.
From there, a move into being a camera company first like Snapchat seems like the next logical step.
To learn more about what is changing when Vine is discontinued, check out these FAQs
Twitter Testing Breaking News Alerts
In Twitter news, they are testing breaking news alerts.
This is what breaking news alerts looks like from Twitter.
.@twitter with a push alert that links to their moment on the Berlin Christmas market crash pic.twitter.com/FfutHxCnaQ
— Brianna Sacks (@bri_sacks) December 19, 2016
Twitter rolled out this update partly because of a recent Berlin Christmas truck crash.
Why Twitter Breaking News Alerts Matter
One thing to note about Twitter breaking news alerts is that they don't go to everyone.
According to Buzzfeed, Twitter "uses an algorithm to decide who gets notified about what topics."
This means you won't necessarily get a push alert whenever there is breaking news.
Having this feature could be particularly useful if you are a business so that you can be notified whenever there is breaking news in your area so that you can prepare for an increase in traffic or a need to assist.
While this is a test feature, we would love to see Twitter keep this feature.
A lot of people aren't checking the news. By sending a push alert (which you can turn off in the Twitter app settings), you can be notified about breaking news around you.
You can learn more about Twitter breaking news alerts here.
Tools
In addition to sharing the latest in social media news from this past week, we also highlighted some great tools and apps to check out.
KWFinder
KWFinder is a tool for doing keyword research and analysis.
With KWFinder, it makes it easy for your business to perform search engine optimization (SEO) to identify the most valuable search terms.
As a business owner, this is important because you want your blog content optimized for the right keywords that your customers are looking for.
KWFinder offers a free version that limits the number of keyword lookups.
They also offer additional plans that allow you to lookup more keywords along with related keywords to use in your content.
Try KWFinderGoogle Motion Stills
The next tool we wanted to share with you is called Google Motion Stills (iOS).
Google Motion Stills is an app that can take your live photos and turn them into animated GIFs.
Here is an example created with Google Motion Stills.
You can also use Motion Stills to combine your live photos and turn them into movies.
These can then be used in your blog posts or shared on your social media channels.
Google Motion Stills is available as a free app. You can download it below.
Download Google Motion StillsEvernote
The last tool we wanted to share this week is called Evernote (Web | Mac | iOS | Android).
Evernote is a tool that can help you stay organized in your personal and professional life.
You can use Evernote to take notes, create to-do lists, clip articles you find online, write blog posts, record audio notes and more.
We use Evernote to collaborate on the Social Chatter show.
As a business owner, you can use Evernote for anything you can think of - to organize projects, store new ideas and more!
Evernote is available for free or you can upgrade to other plans as the needs of your business change.
Try EvernoteWrap-up
That's it for this week's episode of Social Chatter.
Be sure to tune-in to our next episode of Social Chatter to find out what's new in social media!
If you have any questions about of the social media news or tools that were mentioned this week, please share them with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or in the comments below.
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